Numerous industrial applications require perfect welds in order to comply with standards, norms and regulations.
But in many cases this criteria is not achieved without a specific preparation of the tube before welding, especially if the cutting of the tube has not been done in a professional way, obtaining a perfect burr-free surface quality.
In this case, the squaring of the tube is mandatory.
Why is tube squaring important ?
In “high purity” industries such as pharmaceutical or food, no welding fault can be allowed. Errors in the installation can create favorable conditions for dirt and bacteria contaminations. This is also valid for micro-chemical applications, such as the semiconductor industry and many more. Generally, these installations are set up by an approved subcontractor, equipped with adapted cutting machines and orbital welding equipment, ensuring a perfect fault free result.
In case of maintenance, partial adjustments or for original equipment installation, the person responsible for the production site has to ensure that the preparation of the tubes and fittings is carried out correctly, maintaining the highest level of quality.
Watch our orbital squaring demonstration in video
The replacement of orbital cutting machines by squaring machines is sometimes mandatory
Orbital cutting machines guarantee a perfect cut result but in some cases – according to the place where repair work must be done – the use of such equipment is not possible due to a lack of accessibility.
The use of metal cutting saws or other tools should be avoided as they create particles or chips that must not be admitted in any circumstances. Some techniques even modify the material characteristics of the metal due to the heat input…
There is one and only solution: the tubes have to be squared. In this case you can use a portable, lightweight machine, which can be used in any situation for thin walled tubes.
Due to the use of stainless steel jaws adapted to all tube diameters, a HSS TIALN blade squares the tube by forming a perfectly formed metallic spiral, exempt of any particle produced during the squaring operation.
This allows for easy handling and guarantees a perfect result for high purity installations, even in case of electropolished tubes. This operation can be done for new installations, for repair operations – even in restricted access conditions – at a fair price and an thanks to an easy-going process.
The result is impressive: in terms of perpendicularity you cannot see any difference between a cut realized in a workshop with our cutting machines and a tube squared on site ! And as an added bonus, the squared surface will be 100% burr-free !
The special case of micro-fittings : how to avoid losses thanks to squaring operations
There is one specific application where the financial impact is most important: the use of micro-fittings in the manufacturing of semi-conductors, the pharmaceutical and micro-chemical industry and many more industrial fields where fluids are conveyed through thin walled and small tubes with diameters of less than 17.2 mm (5/8’’).
The micro-fittings produced by CNC machines out of one single piece, which explains their high pricing. Any welding mistake or wrong manipulation makes this fitting useless making accuracy a top concern.
If the tubes and fittings are squared, this risk can be avoided. AXXAIR has developed a dedicated range of jaws for this specific application : with a complete range dedicated to squaring and welding these smaller diameters.
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